Speech of H.E. Spanta, Foreign Affair Minister

Excellency Princess India, Excellencies Ladies and Gentlemen,

From the outset, I would like to welcome you to the International Conference on “Establishing Afghanistan’s Modern Diplomacy: the Influence of Mahmud Tarzi and Vali Khan Darvazi”.

This place holds special historical and symbolic significance andmeaning for us, particularly for the anti-colonial and reformist movements. One of the offices of HE King Amanulla is located here as well as Afghanistan’s first foreign minister late Mahmud Tarzi’s office. Many discussions and declarations associated with restoring Afghanistan independence took place here. The office of our second foreign minister, the great reformist, late Mohammad Vali Khan Darvazi, as well as the place of his unjust trial are also both located here.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As with some of my visionary predecessors, from the first day when I assumed the responsibility for Afghanistan’s diplomacy, I was aware of the difficulties and obstacles that I would be facing. This Ministry is fully committed to the principles and ideals and legacies of its visionary founding leaders. The reform process and discourse in Afghanistan are derived from the Enlightenment. Rationalism and respecting people as the sole source of sovereignty

Excellencies,

Today we have gathered here to examine the thoughts and roles of two of Afghanistan’s great personalities of the twentieth century Undoubtedly, there existed many common characteristics as well as notable differences between the one who was deprived of his civil rights and the one who lost his life While Mahmud Tarzi is a man of thinking and contemplation with an interest in implementing his reformist and enlightened ideas, Mohammed Vali Khan Darvazi as a diplomat, a reformist, a patriotic and the King’s senior confidant is a man of implementation and practice.

The process of Enlightenment and efforts to overcome our historical underdevelopment and anti-colonization are associated with Mahmud Tarzi. After years of exile and forced deportation, Tarzi returned to his homeland with new acquired knowledge and exposure to the Enlightenment ideas The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed the emergence of constitutional movement and reforms process in some Muslim nations, including in the Ottoman Turkey The great French Revolution and the Enlightenment ideas offered a new hope to the reformists in the land “the sick man of Europe’, which was inflicted with the curses of colonization, authoritarianism and underdevelopment. The liberating message of “Equality, Liberty and Fraternity’ overwhelmed many reformists and intellectuals of these lands The autnoritarian beliefs and systems who ruled for centuries over men’s bodies and minds were confronted with the principle of “people sovereignty’.

The late arrival of Enlightenment ideas and promises to our nations was compounded by their association and utilization by the colonial powers. In other words, the modernity and Enlightenment tn the East were not home-grown. It was primarily an effort by the colonized orient to overcome their defeat by acquiring the tolls and products of the Enlightenment and modernity. Any other interpretation is a misreading and misinterpretation of the history.

The contemporary anti-democratic forces also suffer from this fundamental contradiction, which is to confront the essences of moderntty with its tools and products. Technical modernity and instrumentalized rationalism fully embrace advanced modern weapons or latest high tech products and facilities since these products make their torn and confused lives more comfortable. In their view, however, the problems are modernity’s belief and insistence on humanism, human rights, gender equality and the sovereignty of man. From its dawn to the present day, the opponents of modernity have despised the fundamental pillar of modernity, which is the independence and autonomy of man from all socially and politically constructed imposed rules and mastery.

It is imperative that wc contextualize the views and efforts of Tarzi in order to assess his achievements and also the constraints that he was subjected to As a journalist, a poet, a writer, a translator, an intellectual and a politician his multidimensional personality have made him one of Afghanistan s historical personalities. He was the first statesman who laid down the foundation of a national government based on people sovereignty and citizens rights. His efforts are more appreciative when we realize that he was pursing his objectives in time when the palace was filled by the colonial’s agents and puppets. His nationalism brought him to direct confrontation with the forces who did not want to accept new changes, ideas and institutions that were blossoming in the Occident following the French revolution.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The constitutional and modernity movement in Afghanistan cannot be studied without taking into account the role and contributions of Mahmud Tarzi and his courageous companions such as Vali Mohammed Khan Darvazi, Abul Rahman Ludin. Abdulhadi Davi and many more who lost their lives to the noble causes of independence and constitutionalism. Vali Mohammad Khan Darvazi is one of leading figures of cur independence movement. He was a great statesman, a confident patriot, a reformist and a well-known anti-colonial Afghan. As the non-resident Afghan ambassador he succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations with a number of European and Asian nations He was a true representative of newly independent and progressive Afghanistan. By taking advantage of all available options, he conducted his official engagements on equal basis with his European counterparts. Mahmud Tarzi wrote to him,”…no one else could manage our Ministry of Foreign Affairs like you”. Painfully the ensuing authoritarian rein following Darvazi’s execution prevented people to fully appreciate him.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The King Amanulla’s rein has been a blossoming period for Afghanistan thanks to the progressive ideas and tireless efforts of Mahmud Tarzi, Mohammed Vali Khan Darvazi and Abulrahman ludin. From the establishment of the council of Ministers, national assembly and modern judicial system to the establishing diplomatic relations and introduction telephone, radio. Railway, theater to introducing progressive legal measures and initiatives such as banning slavery, under-age marriage and sending girls to overseas for education.

The main difference between the reform movement during the Amani period and ensuing efforts to date was that the former was essentially an anti-colonial movement and aimed to achieve self-determination. The anti-colonial movement was accompanied by the King Amanulla’s determination to escape from the yoke of underdevelopment and backwardness. By doing so, he had to confront the traditional forces and the British colonialism As a result, the flame of a new emerging progressive Afghanistan was distinguished by the forces of colonization and authoritarianism and many of its leading founders were severely punished by the succeeding regime.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It saddens me to see that after 90 years since the commencement of the reform movement in Afghanistan, we are still far away from the realizing the goals and objectives of its founding fathers It seems Afghanistan has been strangled by a vicious cycle of anti reform and anti-modernity The first systematic attempt to institutionalize reform and establish a nation- state was inaugurated during the Amani period. In view of many populist voices both right and left the mam reasons for the failure of early reform was either the speed of the reform, external conspiracy or their incompatibility to people’s sensitivities and desires

However, it my view, the reality is far more complex. The main internal reason for the failure was the historical gap between the state and traditional, autonomous and closed societal structures of the society. The absence of a general knowledge about the complex social and cultural structures and interactions was the main obstacle towards reforms.

In such closed and re-producing cycle the most vicious and violent ideological forces are reproduced by borrowing legitimacy and support from the traditional elements. The penetration into such deep, closed and self-reviving structures is a challenging task. They cannot be easily broken by their internal dynamism External pressures also often lead to strengthening their structure The reformists are either too small or to weak to break this cycle.

In other words, what led to the collapse of the King Amanulla’s reforms were a combination of external factor, internal resistance and the weakness of the reformist movement.

Today, we face with similar challenges and obstacles. On one hand we are struggling with the pre-modern forces equipped with modern weapons, which are being utilized for the pursuit of Pakistan’s hegemonic objectives and Al Qaheda transnational fundamentalism s goals, on the other hand the ethnicisation of political discourse: the weakness of modern social relations and institutions are inhibiting us to break the vicious cycle of anti-reform in Afghanistan.

However one cannot be too pessimistic We can see the gradual loosing some parts of this vicious cycle in recent years by the emergence of human rights, democracy, social justice and rule of law discourse.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Once again many thanks for accepting our invitation. I hope the discussions and deliberations of this conference shed light on some aspects of our recent history.

Welcome to Kabul and have a productive conference.